Extended Play 027: Bicep - Isles

Words by Joshua Bowling (Dream Coast)

With their highly anticipated second album, Bicep craft their most immersive release to date. Across ten tracks, Isles showcases the signature retro-futurist Bicep sound and rave-ready drum programming the duo have become renowned for across dancefloors worldwide. Drawn from 150 demos, Isles sees the pair capture their live energy while distilling their sound to its purest essence, from harder Belfast origins to the more global and contemplative influences they’ve picked up in their travels pre-COVID. All the while, a pervasive melancholic tone reveals a more introspective side to the duo, making this a fitting release for this moment in time.

Blissful opening track ‘Atlas’ (originally released during the beginning of lockdown in March 2020) sets the scene for Isles. Featuring a soulful sample, ambient pads and a melodic synth-line, the single was produced just as Bicep finished touring. “‘Atlas’ was our attempt at summing up some of the euphoric moments we experienced on that tour across those two years” they said at the time. “It feels like those moments are very far away for all of us right now, but we hope this serves as some form of distraction amidst all this chaos.”

The atmosphere created in ‘Cazenove’ contributes to this sentiment with a tinge of melancholy. Broken beats reminiscent of the best of 90’s IDM weave effortlessly amongst modulating synthesiser lines in this early highlight. The more subdued ‘Apricots’ showcases more of the pair’s obvious UK rhythm influence, with the drum programming complimenting a chopped vocal sample and ‘Glue’-esque phased chords. A combination of pummelling beats and a hooky vocal performance from Clara La San follow on single ‘Saku’ before the pensive ‘Lido’ brings the first half of the record to a close.

“The previous record was written from a very happy and almost naïve place” says Andy. “Our starting point was very different this time”. The album is undeniably more moody and introspective than the debut Bicep LP, especially so during the second half of the Isles. ‘X’ is built around a distorted sample-and-hold synth loop, foreboding bass swells and a distant Clara La San feature. A driving beat atop layers of synthesisers steeped in reverb creates a brooding Burial-esque atmosphere in ‘Rever’.

A repurposed Bollywood sample and a synth arpeggio born from a “happy accident” with a faulty bit of gear in the studio in single ‘Sundial’ encapsulates the duo’s practice of embracing the human element in their music. This loving philosophy harkens back to their days unearthing electronic and world music gems from the past on their popular FeelMyBicep blog. The emotional climax of the record, ‘Fir’ features dramatic chords and a drum and bass influenced rhythm that were surely recorded straight from vintage synthesisers and drum machines. Returning to their roots, ravey chord chops and 90’s trance tones in the ‘Hawk’ finish Isles on a hopeful note. As a whole, the second full-length offering from Bicep is a cohesive and emotive journey that is sure to inspire cathartic release for dance music lovers at home across the globe.

In support of Isles, Bicep will be performing a global live stream on February 26 at 7:30PM AEST (UTC+10)